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- GAE COUPLING. V I No. 315,804. Patented Apr. 14, 1885.

' wmvessm UNrrED S'rAirEs PATENT @EEiCE.

HENRY O. MAGRUDER, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

GAR-CCJUPLING.

QPBCIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 315,804, dated April1%, 1885.

Appliraiion filed February 18, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, HENRY O. MAGEUDER, a citizen of the UnitedStates,'residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements inOar-Couplers, of which the following is aspecification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements incar-couplers, and it is designed to be either automatic in its action orto be used in connection with the ordinary link and pin.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andon which similar letters of reference indicate the same or correspondingfeatures, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a car with one of myimproved coupling-hooks attached and one removed; Fig. 2, an invertedplan view thereof showing both coupling-hooks; Fig. 3, a plan View oftwo coupling-hooks as they appear after coupling, and Fig. 4 a detailside elevation of one of the coupling-hooks.

The letter Arefers to the draw-bar of ,a car, situated in thepresentinstance somewhat to one side of a central line passinglongitudinally through the car, and provided at its rear with anaperture, B, designed to receive one end of the red O, which issurrounded by a spiral spring, D. This spring at one end abuts againstthe draw-bar A, and at the other bears against the collar, (forming thelower extension of the bracket 12,) which fits around one end of the rod(3.

The letter F refers to the forward portion of the draw-bar, and isprovided with a slot, G, through which passes a pin, H, by which it issecurely and slidingly connected with the body of the car. The rearportion is likewise provided with slots and pins similar to those justdescribed. The forward portion, above mentioned, near its outer end isbored transversely to receive the bolt I, which passes theret-h roughand supports at either side thereof the couplinghooks J. These hookshave arrow-heads, the barbs of which engage one another. Between thesehooks and the nuts on the outer extremities of the bolts I place awasher, K, against which abuts one end of a spiral spring, L,surrounding the bolt, and

the other end of which spring bears against the nuts just mentioned.

The letter M refers to a bar which passes through the coupling-hooks(they having apertures for this purpose) alittle above and slightly toone side of the bolt 1, the purpose of which bar is to assist insupporting the heft of the conplinghooks and to keep them in ahorizontal plane. Each hook on its upper edge is provided with a staple,N, which receives the lower curved portion of the bail 0.

Between the middle and upper portion of the car proper, and at eitherside of the center, are brackets P, the object of which is to receiveand hold in place the transverse bar Q, the central portion of which isU-shaped and its ends or extremities formed into cranks R. Connection ismade between the bail O and the U-shaped portion of the transverse bar Qby means of a rod, S,whereby,when the cranks are depressed, the hooks,through the medium of the rod S and the bail O, are elevated, and inthis manner cars which are coupled are uncoupled.

'It is to be observed that the coupling-hooks J, as seen in Fig. 4, areprovided with a slot, T, the object of which is to receive a link,whenit is desired to use this method of coupling, the pin being inserted inthe aperture U in the usual manner. It is also to be observed that thedraw-bar is mounted, as above described, somewhat to one side of acentral line passing longitudinally through the car, the object of whichis to bring the coupling-hooks on each car slightly to one side of thecenter, so as to permit of their passing by each other in the act ofcoupling. It is further to be observed that the forward portion of thedraw-bar, at its point of connection with the draw-bar proper, is cutaway and made somewhat smaller than at its outer extremity, and that thespiral springs interposed between the washers and the nuts on the bolt Iallow the hooks to be expanded, which becomes necessary when an oppositehook is forced between them, and the cut-away portion allows therespective rear ends of the hooks to near each other during the entranceof the opposite coupling-hooks.

Eaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-coupler, the co1nbination,with the draw-bar having itsforward portion tapered near its point of connection with said drawbar,and provided with an aperture near its forward end, the bolt, and thecoupling-hooks provided with apertures and fitting on said bolt, of thesprings interposed between the washer and the nuts, whereby thecouplinghooks are allowed to give during the entrance of the oppositehook.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination,with the draw-bar andthecoupling-hooks secured to said bar, of the rod extending throughapertures in the coupling-hooks and above the draw-bar, whereby thehooks are kept in a horizontal plane.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-bar and thecouplinghooks secured thereto, and each provided with a staple, of thebail, the rod, and the transverse bar having a U-shaped portion andcranks, whereby when the cranks are turned the coupling-hooks areelevated.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-bar having anaperture, the rod fitting in said aperture and surrounded by a spring,the depending bracket having acollar and supporting said rod, of thecoupling-hooks the draw-bar having an aperture in its forward 0 portion,the bolt, the coupling-hooks having apertures, and the springsinterposed between the Washers and the nuts on the bolt, of the bailconnected with the hooks, the rod, and

the transverse bar having a U-shaped por- 45 tion and cranks, wherebywhen the cranks are turned the couplinghooks are elevated.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY O. MAGRUDER.

XVitnesses:

JNo. L. WINGs, J. C. PHAUP.

